Demonology
by Kianda Daemon
Summary: Vincent was once a fifteen year old High School student-- that is until he found a book of the occult that he used to end his bully problem. Little did he know that it would change his life for the worse. *Note: Chapter 2 is Part 2
1. Demonology: By Blood Begun

There was once a teenager named Vincent. He wasn't much like other boys his age; he was shy and quiet, not very social all around. But, like other boys his age, he had his own fair share of raging hormones. He was intensely attracted to a girl in his History class, but that's a story for another time, perhaps. No, this particular story centers around his tormentor, Steven. Now, by High School, most kids grow out of their bullying phase, but not Steven. However, Vincent was the only one Steven tormented.

As one might imagine, Vincent did not very much appreciate Steven's behavior. On a regular basis, the asshole would jump him, steal his money, and kick and punch him. He normally got away with it, but sometimes he'd get caught. One might wonder why it was that Steven never got kicked out of school. Well, simply put, his father was the principal. Not very fair, is it?

Now, there were several occasions on which Vincent could have fought back; he was perfectly capable of defending himself. He was well trained in self-defense, and even thought he wasn't particularly ripped, he was fit enough to handle at least one attacker. The fact of the matter is that even though his parents poured money into his martial arts classes, they did not support violence, even if it was in self defense; they believed in turning the other cheek. If Vincent were to fight back, he'd be punished by his parents when they got word of it; not to mention he'd be punished further for getting suspended...again. No matter what, Vincent didn't see anyway out of his situation.

Today, he was lucky; Steven was absent from school, so Vincent had a chance to have a normal day for once. He had a very tight circle of small friends, and his crush, Katie, was included in that circle. Everyone except her knew about his feelings towards her, but again, that is a story for another time.

His parents were at work until seven at night every day, and since Vincent didn't have the patience to wait five hours for them to pick him up, he walked home. It was actually very convenient; it was only a ten minute walk from his school back home. Today was particularly pleasant, aside from the fact that Steven wasn't there that day. It was partially cloudy out, and it was fairly quiet, so he could actually enjoy himself. Usually he'd walk back home depressed from the day's events.

He looked down to check his watch. _Five minutes from home; perfect._

As he crossed the street, his pleasant demeanor disappeared when he saw who was waiting for him on the other side.

_Steven...of course. I knew today was too good to be true._

Steven had the build of a football player; he had red hair that was styled in a buzz cut. His eyes were brown, his skin was tan, and he was only slightly shorter than Vincent.

Vincent, on the other hand, was fairly slender, with a toned build. He had fair skin, black hair that almost went down to his collar, gray eyes, and was about 5'9".

"Sorry I wasn't at school today, Vince," Steven said in a mock-friendly tone. "I had a bit of a head cold, but I'll be back tomorrow, and the fun can start all over again."

Vincent just frowned and walked past him, bumping into him in a passive-aggressive manner. He probably just ticked him off, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get home.

"Oh, so you're walking away from me, huh?" Steven mocked as he followed Vincent. "You're very rude, you know."

Vincent said nothing in return.

Steven put a hand on Vincent's shoulder, spun him around, then pushed him into a tree. The push combined with the impact knocked the air out of Vincent's lungs; the next thing he knew, Steven was holding him by the collar of his shirt.

"Did you really think one day would change anything? Did you think you were safe, Vince? Well?"

Vincent took in a shaky breath, doing his best to hide the fear in his face. "Let go of me, Steven, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Hurt me? My dad's the principal; if I tell him, you'll be expelled from the shit hole my old man tries to pass off as a school!"

Vincent just stayed silent this time. What was he supposed to do? Steven, even though he had a brain the size of a wall nut, was right. He couldn't risk fighting him, even outside of school. He couldn't win; he wasn't invincible like Steven was, and Steven was about to prove it.

Steven threw him to the ground, and kicked him in the chest. Then, he proceeded to kick his back, stomach, everywhere but his jaw. Even Steven knew that hurting him that much was going to get him expelled. Steven kept beating him for five straight minutes; Vincent was covered with bruises, blood, and dirt; every last muscle was screaming in agony, but Vincent couldn't muster the will power to make a sound. Steven grabbed him by the hair, and lifted him up just enough so he could hiss in his ear.

"If you try to ignore me again, it will be much much worse. See you tomorrow, bitch boy." To seal the deal, he spat in Vincent's face, and walked away silently.

Vincent had stayed on the ground for a good ten minutes before finally deciding to get up and walk back home. It was only three thirty, but he didn't want to spend another minute out there. As soon as he got home, he allowed a silent tear to trickle down his cheek as he walked upstairs to his room. He stood in his door way for about thirty seconds, then his body started shaking. He breathed angrily through his teeth; the anger swelled, then he couldn't take it anymore.

_"__**God dammit!" **_

__He threw his backpack against the wall, not even startled by the sound of the crashing books. He flung himself on to his bed, swearing angrily underneath his breath.

"Why me...why does it have to be _me_, of all people? What the Hell did I do to deserve this? I've been trying to live a good life, but what's my reward? _Shit! Nothing but shit!"_

He ranted on and on like that for a good twenty minutes. It was days like these when he wondered why he didn't just kill himself. It was so simple: go down to the kitchen, pick up the sharpest knife he could find, then plunge it into his own beating heart. So far, the only person who was stopping him from taking his own life was Katie. She was the first one to catch on to his hidden suicidal thoughts. She made it her job to check in on him from time to time, and make sure he didn't lose the will to fight on.

He sighed as the thought of Katie consoling him surfaced in his mind. He slowly got off his bed, then went to his dresser and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes, then he went into the bathroom to take a shower. After fifteen minutes he got out and dried himself off, then put his dirty clothes in the wash. While he waited for the wash cycle to finish, he figured he might as well get started on his homework. He didn't have much work to do, but he needed something to keep him occupied.

He first had English, which he finished quickly. Then, he had French, which took him just a little bit longer since he had to pause every now and then to translate. Once he was finished with that, he reached into his backpack to grab his European History book. Just as he was about to grab it, he heard the buzzer for the washer go off. He stopped what he was doing, then ran downstairs to quickly put his clothes in the dryer. Once he was finished with that, he went back up to his room to continue his work. But when he reached into his bag to grab his History book, he grabbed something that was completely alien to him.

He pulled out a small leather bound black book; there was no title or anything of the sort; it was just a plain black book.

"What the Hell? This isn't my History book; I don't even recognize this thing. Where'd it come from..."

Vincent was curious by nature, so he opened the book and started flipping through the pages. This was so...interesting. The pages were full of incantations and rituals for summoning monsters, demons, and things of the like. He didn't know where it came from, but he was already interested.

_Shouldn't I be concerned? This book isn't even mine, and more importantly, this would fall under the category of the occult. If my parents caught me with this..._

Then again, they were hardly ever home, and hardly ever came in his room.

_Okay, so there's little chance of them finding this. But still...I should try to find out who this belongs to, and how it got in my bag. Although, I can't think of a single person at my school who'd have a book like this. Well...if anyone wants it, they'd probably ask around about it soon enough. I can always just wait until then, I suppose._

As much as he hated to admit it, the book was very interesting; he couldn't tear his eyes away from it. He wondered if there was anything in there that might help him with his little situation with Steven. He laughed and shook his head; he doubted it, but only slightly. Then, his doubts were completely erased when he read a description of something called a Fel lasher.

_The Fel lasher is a beast from the pits of Hell. Despite it's ravenous appetite for human flesh, it is very loyal to it's summoner. It will follow every bidding it's master gives without question, and will even perform the vaguest of commands. Even though it is not a sentient being, it has an inborn sense of tactics; it is a natural hunter. It stalks its prey patiently; it will even hunt for days if necessary. The Fel lasher has the body of a giant cat, with venom tipped antennae running along it's back. It has the head of a dragon, and the tail of a scorpion. It's shrill howl is enough to freeze a person with their own fear; though they will not be able to move, they will still be able to scream in terror and agony as the Fel lasher makes its victim into a meal._

Vincent set the book down for a minute. The summoning incantation and ritual was fairly easy. Cut your arm, and allow the blood to drop to the floor as you recite the incantation. However, the incantation must be completed at precisely midnight. If the incantation wasn't completed precisely at midnight, then the Fel lasher would kill the summoner upon appearing.

_If I timed it right, I could- no, no, no. It's out of the question, I can't...then again, it would be a permanent solution to my Steven problem. But...there must be a catch. It can't be as simple as that._

He read on about the Fel lasher, and the rest of the description said that once the Fel lasher completes the task he was summoned to do, the summoner had the choice of sending it back to his home, or keeping it as a companion.

_Well, isn't that convenient?_ _Do I really want to go through two more years of torment from Steven, or should I end it here and now? It's only the fourth month of the school year...do I want to risk it this early on? No....no, I've had to put up with this torment all throughout Middle School, and I'm not about to put up with it any further. This ends tomorrow, once and for all._

It was ten minutes to midnight; Vincent had been practicing the incantation ever since dinner was over. It was fairly simple; the incantation took about thirty seconds to recite; forty five seconds before, he'd cut himself and let the blood drip to the floor, then at thirty seconds he'd begin the incantation.

Five minutes to midnight.

_Is it really worth it? According to the book, when I summon a creature as fearsome as this, I'm sacrificing a small portion of my life span. Is it really worth the risk? _

_Of course it is...it's either this or be tormented for three more years. This ends tomorrow._

It was two minutes to midnight. He quickly ran downstairs and grabbed a knife from the kitchen. By the time he got back up, he had a minute till midnight.

_Fifty seconds..._

He cut straight down his right arm; he winced a little, but not much; he was accustomed to this; he had cut himself several times before. Once the thirty second marker struck, he began reciting the incantation. The words flowed out of his mouth, as if he were speaking fluently in a different language. The words of the incantation were deceivingly beautiful to the ear; ironic that they brought forth a murderous beast that would soon destroy Steven.

He completed the incantation at precisely midnight. His breath stilled, and it was as if he were frozen in place. After a minute passed, nothing happened...was it a bust? Did he say the incantation incorrectly? No, he was sure he didn't, so why-

_Hello Vincent Adams._

The voice came from inside his head, and yet he felt a presence behind him. He slowly turned around, and standing on his bed was the Fel lasher he had summoned. It's fur was brown and yellow, and it's antennae were black with white stripes; and it's tail, of course, was black like a scorpion's. The scales of it's dragon head were black and blue, with spikes jutting out from the back of its skull, is if it wore a crown; it's eyes, however...it didn't have eyes? Did it see with it's other senses?

_Brilliant deduction, my master. I see with my nose, ears, and touch._

"You know my thoughts..." Vincent said hesitantly; the book left certain things out. "And you're telepathic...interesting..."

_You can't trust everything you read in books, my dear boy. Then again...I wouldn't know, since I can't read. Now, even though I know why I'm here, custom dictates that you tell me my mission. So, get on with it._

"You're not one for small talk, are you?" He asked sarcastically.

This time, the Fel lasher didn't reply.

"Fine. Well, there is a boy at my school named Steven Johnson. Tomorrow, I want you to stalk him, and wait for the right moment to strike. In short, I want you to do what you do best: Maul him."

_Of course, my master. Anything you say. I see you're not one to draw things out, are you?_

"This has been drawn out for five years, and not by choice, either. Tomorrow, it ends."

A long silence followed, then the Fel lasher finally said _Are you part of the drama club? You'd fit in quite well there._

On the way to school the next day, Vincent learned many new things about the Fel lasher. For instance, they could turn invisible whenever they wished, and they could walk on walls as well. It was all very interesting, but Vincent didn't care much. All he knew was that today, his problems with Steven would end-- permanently.

Vincent's third period was History; it was the one class he had with Katie, and the first with Steven. As usual, Steven came to class late, and took his seat behind Vincent. He could practically feel Steven glaring at him; he was still angry about yesterday, it would seem. Vincent had to try his best to keep from laughing out loud as he thought of what was to come.

Now, this was usually the time Steven would raise his hand to go to the bathroom. True to his nature, Steven did as predicted. Vincent smirked as Steven left the room. Steven glanced at Vincent, and quickly glared when he saw and arrogant twinkle in Vincent's eyes. He angrily left the room, muttering to himself something inaudible. Now, all there was left to do was wait.

"All right class," the teacher said five minutes after Steven had left. "We're going to have a short essay. Take out a piece of paper, and-"

He was interrupted by ear splitting screams coming from down the hallway. Vincent struggled to keep himself from bursting out in laughter.

_Yes, yes, yes! Well done, my pet. Well done indeed..._

The teacher ran out of the room, and told the class to stay in their seats. After he left, everyone started muttering to each other, taking guesses as to what might have happened. Katie leaned over to Vincent, and whispered, _"Maybe he fell in the toilet and can't get out."_ She said sarcastically.

Vincent chuckled and shook his head. "That would be wonderful."

_That would be wonderful...but this is fantastic!_

Ten minutes later, the teacher came back inside, his face completely drained of blood.

"Students...you are to go home early. Something...terrible has happened to Mr. Johnson's son. Until the principal sends out the call, you are to stay home from school. Good day to you all."

_Good? So far it's going great._

As Vincent walked home, he kept reminding himself that once he stepped inside his house he could burst out in laughter. Until then, he would just have to contain himself.

_So, master. I take it you are pleased by what has happened today?_

_Yes, very pleased, _He thought back. _Very pleased indeed. While I should not believe everything I read in books, it would seem it was right about one thing at the very least: You are loyal, aren't you?_

_Extremely, sir._

_But sarcastic?_

_Our kind are known for that- well, to those who know of us, anyways._

_Yes, I've been meaning to ask about that. _He thought. _Where did that book come from? How did it end up in my bag?_

_I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps you just have a magnetic personality, seeing as how you seem to attract the strangest things. Like that girl...uh, Katie, is it? I never did understand the females of your kind._

_What do you mean?_

_Is it not obvious she is attracted to you? You humans are so clueless..._

_She's...attracted to me? Really? How can you tell?_

_Well gee...I'm telepathic, and I have to wait around all day to kill. So I wonder how I know?_

_Oh, shut up all ready._

Once he got home and closed the door behind him, he began to chuckle. Then, slowly the chuckle turned into laughter, which quickly transformed into a almost manic cackle. He was interrupted when he heard the phone go off. Usually when he picked up the phone, he sounded irritated, but right now he couldn't be happier.

"Hello, who is it?"

"Vincent....i-it's me, Katie."

"Oh, hi Katie!" He said happily; his happiness began to fade when he noticed the hesitation in her voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, sorta, kinda. How do I tell you this...well, Steven has been killed- no, that's not the right word for it. He's been mauled by a wild animal."

_You don't know the half of it..._ He thought to himself.

"How do you know?" He asked in a surprised tone.

"I went poking in the bathroom before I left, and I saw...well, I saw-"

"You can stop right there, Katie," He said compassionately. "I know it must have been horrible, but what's done is done."

A ten second silence followed, then Katie finally said, "How can you be so calm? I mean, I know you hated him, but aren't you in the least bit...I dunno, concerned?"

Another silence followed, then he finally said, "To be honest, he deserved this. I don't mean to sound cold, but that's my opinion."

After another long silence, he said, "Katie, I was wondering...since we won't have school for a while, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to...I dunno, hang out at the mall tomorrow?"

It sounded like Katie choked on her tongue, but she finally said, "Yes! Yes of course, I'd love to! How's noon sound to you?"

"That sounds fine. See you tomorrow then. Bye."

He hung up the phone, then went upstairs into his room where the Fel lasher was waiting for him.

_Well, now you have a choice to make: Send me back, or keep me as a companion. Quite frankly, I'd prefer to leave this place; it stinks of humans and romance._

He smirked to himself as he held the leather bound book he found yesterday, then thought, _I read something about Blood Pacts in here. I have a proposition for you, my friend._

If the Fel lasher had lips, he would have smirked. _Please, call me...Jalirtas._


	2. Demonology: By Blood Undone

Almost a year had passed since Vincent ordered his Fel lasher, Jalirtas, to slaughter Steven. The day Steven was killed, Vincent made a Blood Pact with Jalirtas...

_If the Fel lasher had lips, he would have smirked. _Please, call me...Jalirtas.

_"Very well, Jalirtas," Vincent said. "So, according to this book, we both cut ourselves and allow our blood to drip on the floor. Then, we drink the other's blood, and forever become intertwined with one another. Is that correct?"_

Yes, that is correct. _Jalirtas replied, almost smugly. _But, may I ask what your purpose is for doing this?

_"Well," Vincent said as he took a seat at his desk. He opened the book and flipped through a couple of pages, then stopped when he found the page he was looking for. "It says here that when you exchange blood with that of a demon, you will gain their natural powers. Now, I believe that being able to read minds and turn invisible would be quite useful, wouldn't you agree?"_

Of course I would.

_"Exactly. But, the book also says that upon the exchange of blood, the demon will be able to find the human whenever it wants." He shut the book closed, then got out of his chair. "Now, is this exchange going to lead to problems for me? If so, then I'm going to send you back without making this pact."_

_If Jalirtas had eyes, he would have frowned at Vincent. _You're going to ask a demon that question and expect him to answer honestly?

_Vincent laughed a little bit, then sat back down. "I suppose you're right. However, it also says that by making a Blood Pact, the human gains a considerable amount of magical abilities; among them being the power to kill with word of mouth. Though I doubt that would work on a demon, I'm sure there's a curse in this book that will allow me to at the very least send you back to Hell should you return."_

This is true. However, my trips to your world are rare. As I said before, this place stinks of humans, and it is a stench I cannot bear.

_"Fair enough," Vincent said, nodding his head. He spun around in his chair, and opened a desk drawer. He looked inside and saw the knife he had used last night. He winced at the thought of opening fresh wounds, but he wanted to make this pact almost as badly as he wanted Katie in his arms. He pulled the knife out of the desk, then stood up and faced Jalirtas._

_"All right...let's open some fresh wounds, hopefully for the last time for quite a while."_

It was a week until the anniversary of Steven's death, which meant the school principal would be holding an assembly to mourn the asshole that was made into a meal for a very blood thirsty Fel lasher. However, on the positive side, it was also a week until Vincent and Katie's One Year Anniversary, and they were positively ecstatic. What was even better was the fact that Vincent's parents were going on a trip and wouldn't be back till the next weekend, which meant Vincent had the house to himself. They left him money for the necessities of life, so he'd be fine.

However, ever since he made the Blood Pact with Jalirtas, he had little need for money, especially since he now knew spells that could persuade people to do whatever he wanted. The only times he ever used his powers, however, was if he didn't feel like putting much effort into anything, which was pretty rare. He used persuasion for petty things, but he didn't care much. The only thing he cared to use his abilities for was when he saw someone else being tormented; that, and when he was bored in class and needed the thoughts of someone else to entertain him. He never realized how sick and perverted his school could be. All in all, making the Blood Pact was the best decision he had ever made, next to asking Katie out.

As a matter of fact, if not for the Blood Pact, he wouldn't have gained his newfound confidence and intelligence. School had become easier for him, not only in terms of education, but also socially. A lot of people wanted to hang out with him for some reason now; it could be because of the natural power that now radiated from him. However, despite his aura, nobody questioned it, or seemed to care. All Vincent knew was that everyone seemed to want to hang out with him...and he was tired of it. He still kept his close circle of friends, but kept everyone else at arm's length. He didn't want to have a lot of friends; it was probably the only negative thing about this Blood Pact.

However, ever since the beginning of November, he was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. In fact, he found that he was easily startled of late. Katie was a bit concerned about his behavior, but Vincent told her that it was nothing she should worry about. Though that was an obvious lie, he didn't want to worry her too much, nor could he tell her what actually happened a year ago.

In any event, he felt like he was being watched-- no, watched isn't the word for it. The proper word would be stalked. He wondered if Jalirtas had-- no, not possible. The lasher was loyal to him, and it was doubtful that he would return to his world any time soon. Even if he did, Vincent knew a spell that would send him back to Hell and weaken him considerably. He didn't know if weakening Jalirtas would affect him as well, but it would probably be necessary for his survival.

After Vincent's parents left for Spain, the house became quiet, but Vincent invited it-- usually. Now the quiet made him feel paranoid. He needed something to do, something to keep him distracted. He headed downstairs and turned on his PS3, and popped in a random video game. He played for thirty minutes, with the volume way up. It definitely took his mind off his slight paranoia. Eventually he couldn't stand the noise, and turned it down a little.

_What is wrong with me? Why am I so paranoid? I have no reason to be afraid, after all, so why should I-_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps coming towards his house. In addition to being able to read minds, Vincent's other senses had increased as well, but his eyesight remained the same. He could also turn invisible and walk on walls, though he didn't see how a power that only made your body invisible could help, nor did he see how walking on walls was inconspicuous.

He paused his game, then walked to the front door, waiting for the knock. After his visitor knocked on the door, he opened it, and smiled when he saw who it was.

Black hair tied in a pony tail, green eyes, fair skin, and a B-cup chest. _Katie._

"Hey baby," She said happily. She was wearing blue skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and an old jacket that used to belong to Vincent. "May I come in?"

"Of course," He said, motioning for her to come inside. "Though I don't think my parents would approve of your being here while they're not. Speaking of which, do your parents know where you are?"

"Nope," She said with a smile as she walked in. "But they're going to be gone pretty much all day today, so it doesn't matter. So, how are you enjoying your parents' vacation so far?"

He shrugged as he closed the door and walked back into the family room. "It's not much different than any other day. Only difference is that I won't be seeing them at all."

"You sound kind of bummed about that," She said as she sat down on the couch.

"Well, sorta," He shrugged, and walked into the kitchen. He knew she wanted something to drink; it didn't take a mind reader to-- well, then again, it sort of did. "Would you like something to drink?" He called from the kitchen.

"Water's fine." She replied.

_You're so predictable. _He thought with a laugh. He didn't need to read her mind to know that.

"So, why are you bummed?" She asked; her voice was getting closer as she walked into the kitchen.

"Well," He said as he grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge. "It would be kind of nice if they'd pay a little more attention to me, you know?" He threw one of the water bottles at her, and opened his to take a drink.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She said as she opened her bottle and took a sip. "But I thought you liked your privacy?"

"I do, for the most part. But sometimes I wish they'd pay a bit more attention to me..." _I'd use my powers on them to control them, but that would draw a lot of attention to me-- attention I really don't want or need._

"Well, it's like you say," She began as she put her water bottle down. "They're busy people, and lately they've had a lot on their plate."

Vincent didn't say anything. He put his water bottle down and sighed, then leaned his back against the kitchen counter. "I know...but sometimes I just wish that-"

He was interrupted when Katie wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. He gasped a little bit, then started kissing her back. He put his arms around her waist, and pulled her in closer. He ran his hands up and down her back, and under her shirt. Before he knew what was happening, his shirt was gone.

_When did I take my shirt off?_

He pulled out of the kiss, taking deep shaky breaths. "We should stop..."

Katie just nodded.

"Do we care?" He asked.

"Not really." Katie replied.

"Agreed."

He pulled her back into the kiss, his hands moving to the back of her bra. He started fumbling with it, then finally-

_Vincent...._

_**"Holy shit!" **_He screamed, pulling his hands out from underneath her shirt.

She jumped back and screamed too, then asked. "What? What is it?"

_That voice...could it be-- no, no, that's impossible. He'd never come back...would he? No, it was just my imagination. But it sounded so real...it couldn't possibly be my imagination, could it? No, it has to be, it must be! But still...._

"Vincent!" She yelled. "Come back from outer space all ready!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry..." Vincent replied.

"Seriously, Vincent. What's wrong? You're starting to worry me..."

"I don't know..." Vincent lied. He sighed and shook his head, then walked to the bathroom. "I'll be right back."

He closed the bathroom door behind him, and ran some cold water from the faucet. He splashed some water into his face, and remained hunched over the sink for a few minutes. _Something's not right here...that voice sounded too real. No, no, no, it was just my imagination. Nothing else. I'm being foolish. _He sighed, then looked up into the mirror and saw Jalirtas.

"What the Hell!?"

He looked over his shoulder, and there was nothing, then looked back in the mirror, and again saw nothing.

_Wow...I must be paranoid. _

As it turned out, that day turned out pretty well for Katie and Vincent, despite the fact that he nearly had a melt down. And, since his parents were away, they could have plenty more "good days" at his house. And they did, so far; last night they stayed up pretty late having way more fun than they should have. In any event, neither of them were looking forward to Wednesday, because that's when the principal would have his school-wide assembly to honor Steven's memory.

_Hmph...what honor is there in his memory? There is none...he was a disgusting pig who deserved to be slaughtered like the runt of the litter!_

Wednesday arrived quickly, though. Because they had that day to remember Steven, everyone had to dress in black as if it were a funeral. If anything, the assembly wasted a good two hours of class time, so Vincent was thankful for that at the very least.

Vincent and Katie sat in one of the middle rows. Katie got bored with the assembly quickly, so she rested her head on Vincent's shoulder to take a nap. Vincent smiled and put his arm around her, and let her rest while he pondered the past few days.

_Last Saturday...when Katie came over. It was so strange...how could I have heard Jalirtas' voice? He said that he wouldn't return; he said he hated the stench of humans. So, given that, why would he come back if he can't stand my kind? Did he come back to...no no no, he wouldn't come back to kill me. Or maybe he would...he all ready tasted my blood once, maybe he wants even more? It would make sense I suppose, but Fel lashers are supposed to be loyal creatures, so why would he want to eat me? Wait....I'm not his master anymore, so he would be able to kill me now. But the book said nothing about them returning afterwards to kill their former master. Mmmm...perhaps each lasher is different from another; they are individual creatures, after all. But this is all just speculation...I have no idea if they do return to kill their former masters or not. This is so frustrating...I wish I could-_

Just then, he heard the familiar sound of claws scratching the floor. There weren't any animals allowed on campus, and none were present that he knew of. He looked around, and saw nothing. He also saw no sign that any of the students heard it either. No...no, it must have been further away, but close enough for him to hear it with his enhanced senses. He strained to hear more, then finally figured out it was coming from the hallway. Could it possibly be Jalirtas?

_Brilliant deduction, my master..._

He would have jumped in his seat if he weren't so self conscious of his actions right now. He was beginning to sweat...the footsteps were getting louder and closer. Were they getting...faster too? Holy crap, they were getting faster! Jalirtas was here; Vincent was being hunted! _Holy crap, I might die today! Oh Katie...if only you knew, if only I could tell you! If only- _Then, just like that, the footsteps stopped. He strained to listen...nothing. And he didn't hear Jalirtas either. Maybe it was all in his imagination...maybe he was especially paranoid because this was the day Steven was killed.

_Yes, that must be it. There's absolutely nothing to worry about. I'm just stressing myself out._

After school was over, Katie told Vincent she couldn't go over to his house that day because her parents had a load of chores for her to do, and she had a huge load of homework to do. Vincent just smiled, kissed her, and said "I love you" before they walked their separate ways to go home.

Vincent walked home with a skip in his foot. _Steven is gone...Steven is gone! And this day is a wonderful reminder of that! Steven, I hope you're rotting in Hell like you deserve._

As Vincent approached his door, he took out his keys and moved to put them in the lock; it wouldn't fit. He looked at the lock closely, then realized that it was in the unlocked position. His eyes widened in shock...how was this possible? Did someone pick the lock? It was possible...there was only one way to find out. He walked inside, and started to look around the house. No one was there, and nothing was missing.

_Maybe I just forgot to lock the door this morning. Yes, that must be it. Katie and I were in a bit of a rush, after all._

Later that night, he decided to take a shower. Just as he shut off the water, he heard the familiar sound of claws scratching on wooded flooring, then just as quickly, stopped.

_This again? Wow...my mind must really enjoy playing tricks on me._

He laughed as he dried himself off, then he got dressed and walked into his room. As he walked towards his desk, he heard a loud hissing noise coming from behind him. His eyes widened, then he turned around and saw an all too familiar Fel lasher lunge at him. He was so caught off guard that he completely forgot the spell to banish demons. Jalirtas forced Vincent on his back, and held him down with his paws.

_Did you think I'd forget about you, _master_?_

Vincent may have forgotten his spell, but he remembered his self defense. He coiled his legs back, then finally kicked Jalirtas off of him. Jalirtas quickly got back up, but so did Vincent.

"You...I told you to go back home! I thought you hated my world!? Why are you here now? I have nothing of interest to you."

_Your life..._ Jalirtas replied; his voice sounded desperate. _I want your life!_

"Why? I thought I was your master! I thought-"

_You, foolish mortal, you don't understand! You aren't my master anymore, and I wasn't plotting to kill you after you released me, until your stench became unbearable!_

"My stench, what are you-" Before he could finish, Jalirtas flung himself at him. Vincent spun away, then kicked him, launching him into a wall; again, he recovered quickly. Fortunately, Vincent was beginning to remember the spell he needed to send Jalirtas back to Hell.

_All human blood has a unique smell to it, Vincent. I thought to myself, _It's just one human, it's no big deal. _But, as time went on, the smell was becoming more and more irritating. One day, I decided enough was enough. I can't take it anymore! Your blood, its stench, it is stuck forever inside of me! The only way to solve this problem is to kill you!_

"That makes no sense!" Vincent retorted. He finally remembered the spell. All he needed to do was make Jalirtas attack him again. "If you kill me, the blood will still remain in your body; you'll still be cursed!"

_No, no no! Shut up, shut up, shut up! You know __**nothing **__about Blood Pacts! You are ignorant, you are a fool, and more important, your blood stinks of human! You must die!_

Vincent launched a fireball at the ground beneath Jalirtas' feet, and he quickly jumped to the ceiling and stuck to it. He quickly ran towards Vincent's position, and halfway through, his scorpion's tail lunged at Vincent.

_Die!_

_"Exsilium!"_

Complete silence; Vincent's room was empty, save for Vincent himself. Jalirtas was gone, and Vincent was left alone. He sent Jalirtas back...but it didn't matter.

He looked down at his chest, and saw a hole where the scorpion's tail had pierced him. He took in a deep shaky breath, then tears began trailing down his eyes as he fell to his knees.

_All I wanted was to get rid of Steven...all I wanted was Katie's love...I didn't want anyone else to be tormented like I did, and now...it was all for nothing._

He crawled over to his desk, and struggled to grab his cell phone. He grabbed it, then finally speed dialed Katie's number.

_The last of my life...the last of my energy. I'll tell her everything...she deserves to know._

The phone rang a few times, then Katie finally picked up.

_"Hey baby, what's up?"_

He took a shaky breath, then said. "I'm dying..."

_"What!?"_

It took five minutes to explain everything. The only reason he managed to tell her everything was through sheer force of will. She didn't say anything...no doubt she was in shock.

"But I promise you, I never used my abilities on you in any way. I could never dream of it. I'm sorry Katie...I'm sorry for everything. I...I...I love..."

Like the flame of a candle, his life flickered then died.

_"Vincent! Vincent, are you there! I love you, Vincent, please, don't die! Don't leave me, please! I forgive you Vincent, I love you! Don't be dead...please don't be dead..."_


End file.
